D'bi.Young Anitafrika Fundraises for Postgraduate Studies at Goldsmiths University of London

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY COMMUNITIESHello From D'bi.Young AnitafrikaGood evening my dear family, friends and the villages that have raised meI hope you are happy, healthy and inspiredIt's been a long time communicating with you25 years infact since I moved from the garrison town of Maxfield Avenue Kingston 13 to Toronto Canada at 15 years oldand you have played such a crucial part in who I have grown to beand in who I am still still becoming

Over the 25 years I have created poetry, theatre, and educational arts programsto challenge the absence of training spaces for Black, queer and POC artistsAs a student of Toronto's Fresh Arts ProgramI have truly been raised by entire villages of people and you know who you areAnd I have used my talents, skills, accolades, finances and public attentionto pour energy directly back into my communitiesthis is what I was taught to do as a responsible human beingand I love doing it :)

You have supported me through it all; infact none of it would have been possible without your support. You supported my first ambitious project, Anitafrika Dub Theatre where I taught tuition-free year-long professional theatre residencies to artists such as Amanda Parris, Kim Katrin Milan, Liza Paul and Bahia Watson, among others; volunteering my time to create and run the space.

You Village(s) have supported my most recent ambitious project, The Watah Theatre which has trained scores of artists through its tuition-free and subsidised arts programs as well supporting artists such as Anique Jashoba Jordan, Babette B Burrell, Najla Nubyanluv, Tuku and Raven Dauda, volunteering to nurture this necessary institution.

And you dear Village have supported my international initiative - the Yemoya International Artist Residency where I have mentored artists such as Che Kothari, Randell Adjei, Anthony Gebrehiwot, Titilope Sonuga, Mriga Kapadiya, Ngozi Paul and Machel Montano, to name a few.So many have benefitted from the support you have provided me with, dear Village. So many have grown through the Anitafrika Methodand now I am coming to you directly to help me, an artist, to grow.

I am a playwright-performer, director-dramaturge and emerging scholaras well as a sole-parent mother of two Black boys and I dream of returning to school to study Feminist Black Performance and Generational Traumain the Black Body.

I have created an autoethnograhic praxis called the Anitafrika Methodwhich I have taught globally (http://dbiyounganitafrika.com/the-anitafrika-method/) which I will be theorising at Goldsmiths, University of Londonin order to create new educational practices around self-actualization,creativity and leadership from a feminist, de-colonialist lens.

Could you help me?feminist scholarship and Black queer feminist scholarship are crucial and incredibly under-funded and under-supported. I am having a very challenging time raising the money to go to school. If I don't raise the money, I will be unable to pursue this dream and so I am asking for your support

I need to raise $$75,000 Canadian Dollarsand I have $20,000 already raisedCan you PLEASE HELP ME by Donating $50 (or more if you have it and would like to share it) to my funding campaign?

1.if you are able to contribute please do www.GoFundMe.com/dbimafund<http://www.gofundme.com/dbimafund>2.if you are able to spread the word please do - Flyer Attached3.if you able to connect me with any Black and or feminsit group or anyothers who may be interested in supporting me please do4.if you have or know of any events coming up who may want to book a queerBlack, feminist poet-speaker, please pass on my email